3 - History under attack

Summary

In February, 1906, while still a student at the ENS, Marc Bloch began a short notebook entitled “Historical Methodology.” He began with the words, “I would like to fix in writing certain ideas on historical methodology which have developed in my mind during the last while, but which still take on a vacillating form and vague contours.” And indeed the positions which he laid out were somewhat ambiguous and unclear. Given the swirling debates that had developed within history and between history and sociology, this is not surprising. Since the methodological issues involved in these debates would resonate throughout Bloch's later works, it is important that their genesis and the key actors are understood before turning to his notebook and to the many writings which followed.

The French historical establishment during Bloch's years of training was characterized by its focus on political history. In part this was a consequence of the attempt by the historical profession to become more scientific, since political topics were more amenable to the type of documentary criticism of archival sources which was now required as a mark of one's professional training. In addition, political history was favored by the increasingly close ties between the reigning historians and secondary education.